An article in Ad Age highlights some of the differences between men and women while shopping for electronics:
This just in: Men and women shop differently. Shopping for a big-screen TV is an exciting process for men, who definitely find it easier than shopping for groceries or shoes. For women, it’s stress-inducing and requires careful consideration and research.
Men and women also had opposite shopping styles. Women tended to go to a specific brand first and then look at products, while men decided what product they wanted before beginning to review the brand choices. Brand reputation was important to 58% of women, but only 42% of men.
This leads me to an interesting question: Has anyone studied how men and women view ads differently? Awards shows tend to reward the male hipster attitude-laden ads, so don’t go by what wins awards to determine what really works on men and women. Are there visual or verbal cues that work better? I know we all don’t think alike. Have you encountered any of this difference when evaluating work in your agency?
Funny, I just posted something similar on my blog, though it was more (self-mockingly) focused on how, with the clients that I have, I will never win an award at an award show (I might not also be good enough, but that is for another time).
For an ad I did for frozen vegetables, for example, we found that women wanted to SEE our new technology/product. They didn’t want funny or iconic or cool or even advertising really – they just wanted the information straight. Not great creative for an award show, but it sold the shit out of those veggies and revolutionized the category.
Good for an EFFIE maybe and good for a client, but laughed out of the room at the One Show.
http://dailybiz.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/its-award-season-and-im-not-gonna-win-anything/